Paul Reiser and Meaney make a likeable odd couple in this endearingly silly blast of blarney
Joining the not always proud tradition of movies about hot shot Yanks who come to a sleepy Irish village with big plans is this whimsical slice of shamrockery starring Paul Reiser and Colm Meaney.
The always watchable and relatable Meaney is Ciáran, a grumpy village undertaker who is trying to fulfil his father's deathbed wish and resolve a century-old family feud involving the American side of the family.
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Watch our interview with Paul Reiser and Colm Meaney
So, Ciáran cold calls his long-lost cousin, hot shot property developer Barry (Reiser), in New York, and invites him over to Ireland so they can make nice and dispel the bad vibes.
Hi-jinks, romantic misunderstandings, petty squabbling and even an old-fashioned land war ensue in a culture clash comedy shot mostly around Blessington in Wicklow.
Barry’s favourite movie may be Local Hero but The Problem With People lacks any of that wonderful film's charm, grace and humour. Reiser co-wrote and co-produced and it is hard to feel like you’re not being beaten over the head repeatedly with a shillelagh as sheep roam the streets, not one, but two flame-haired colleens steal the show and the weekly game of GAA turns into the mother of all Donnybrooks.
Reiser and Meaney make a likeable odd couple locked in a game of one-upmanship and Des Keogh always elevates anything he is in but in the end, the problem with The Problem with People is a that it stumbles far too often into Paddywhackery.
The Problem With People is in cinemas this Friday, 8 November
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